Piston



June 30, 1925.

E. H. SMITH PISTON Filed May-28, 1924 Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES EARL HILLIS SMITH,

1,544,491 PATENT OFFICE.

OF MARION, ILLINOIS.

PISTON.

Application filed May 28, 1924. Serial No. 716,395. a

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL HILLIS SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Williamson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements--- in Pistons, of which th following is a specification.

This invention relates to pistons of the type used in internal combustion engines and has for its primary object the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of a piston having its skirt so constructed that the diameter thereof may be varied to compensate for any reduction in size which may result from the wearing of th cylinder due to the constant friction between the skirt and the wall of the cylinder in which the piston works.

A further object of the invention. is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of a piston having a smaller area contacting with the cylinder wall in which the piston works than is the case with pistons of ordinary construction, thus reducing the rapidity with which the iston will heat up and expand in the cylin er.

A still further object of the invention is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of a piston so constructed that should the cylinder become excessively heated and the piston expand unduly, the skirt thereof, due to its formation, will give thus prevent ing the piston from sticking in the cylinder as pistons of solid construction ordinarily do.

The invention contemplates the provision of a piston having a solid head and a shallow skirt of relatively thick construction, and this skirt has at diametrically opposite points depending wings which are constructed to receive the wrist pin bearings and the wrist pin, and these wings are connected by a relatively narrow strip of metal at the lower ends thereof. In addition to this, there is provided two inverted substantially T-shaped members, and the cross head portion of each member being curved to conform to the curvature of the piston and these curved cross head portions are located beneath the connected ends of the ears referred to while the standards extending therefrom project upwardly between the wings and are connected to the narrow connecting strips between the wings and to the underside of the shallow skirt of the piston head. These members are adjustable and can be moved in or outwardly to increase or decrease the diameter of the piston to compensate for wear thereon.

Thefinal object of the invention is the provlslon, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of a piston of light construction, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in, connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding that the invention is not confined to any str1ct conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view upon the line 3--3 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View upon the line 44 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the piston embodying this invention comprises a head 1 having a relatively shallow skirt depending therefrom as indicated which extends upwardly from the lower face thereof. The purpose for this boss and the bore therein will become apparent as the description of the device proceeds.

Depending from the skirt 2 is a pair of diametrically oppositely positioned wings 6 which wings are of lighter weight or of less thickness than the skirt 2 and the outer face of each is flush with the outer face of the skirt 2. The sides of these wings 6 are cut in as is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2,

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thus forming the top and bottom thereof of a width to extend nearly half-way around the body of the piston, and forming the central portion in constricted form as clearly shown in Figure 1. These wings G are positioned upon the skirt 2 at right angles to the location of the bosses 5., Formed integrally with and extending inwardly from each of the ears 6, and at a point substantially intermediate the top and bottom of the piston body when assembled, is a sleeve 7 adapted to receive therein the bushing 8, and these sleeves and bushings are in alignment to receive the wrist pin of the crank arms (not shown).

The lower portions of the ears 6 are connected by a straight relatively narrow strip of metal 9 which strip of metal forms a chord across the lower portion of the piston bod D epending from each of the bosses and extending across the connecting band 9 is a standard 11 of an inverted substantially T-shaped member 10. The head portion 12 of each of these members is curved and.

substantiallysemicircular and of the same diameter as the diameter of the body of the piston, and adapted when in position to align with the lower edges of the Wings 6. The standard 11 of each of the T-shaped members 10 has its free end turned in at right angles as at 13 to extend beneath the boss 5 and a bolt let is extended through the inturned portion 13 and into the bore in the boss 5 to secure the end of the standard in I face thereof and into the inner face of the standard 11.

The end terminal portions of the head portion of each of the members 10 is cut at an angle so that the ends when in opposed relation will be overlapping as at 17, shown in Figure 1. The length of the standard 11 is also sullicient to support the portion 12 in such a manner beneath the lower end of the wings G as to leave a space therebetween as indicated at 18.

Due to the manner in which the members 10 are secured to the body of the piston, the portions 12 may be shifted toward or away from each other as desired to compensate for wear thereupon, it only being necessary to loosen the bolt 14 and slide the upper end of the standard 11 in or out as desired and when in the desired position, washers or shims may be inserted between the cross bar 9 and the lower portion of the standard 11 whereupon the bolt 16 may be replaced and tightened in position, thus a tight but resilient engagement may be had with the lower portion of the piston against the wall of the cylinder of the engine to cut oil therefrom and prevent an -excessive amount of the samefrom working up about the rings 1. This construction is such also that the weight of a piston is cut down materially and the spaces 19 helping materially to keep the body of the piston cool and prevent expansion thereof to prevent binding in the cylinder.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a piston of the character set forth, a head having diametrically oppositely positioned spaced depending wings, a pair of semicircular end opposed members positioned below and in alignment with said wings, and means connecting each member with said head whereby the same may be shifted laterally beneath said wings.

2. In a piston of the character set forth, a head having a relatively shallow skirt, diametrically oppositely positioned spaced wings depending from said skirt, a pair of semicircular end opposed members positionedbelow and in alignment with said wings, and means connecting each member with said skirt whereby the same may be shifted laterally beneath the said wings.

3. In a piston of the character set forth, a head having a relatively shallow skirt, diametrically oppositely positioned spaced wings depending from said skirt, a straight connecting member between the lower ends of said wings, a pair of semicircular end opposed members positioned below and in alignment with said wings and further extending across the space between said wings, and retaining means carried by each member extending across a connecting member and secured to said skirt.

4. In a piston of the character set forth, a head having a relatively shallow skirt, diametrically oppositely positioned spaced wings depending from said skirt, a straight connecting member between the lower ends of said wings, a pair of semicircular end opposed members positioned below and in alignment with said wings and further eX-.

tending across the space between said wings, and retaining means carried by each member extending across a connecting member and secured to said skirt, and shiftable means adjustably connecting said retaining means to said members and skirt.

5. In a piston of the character set forth, a relatively thick head having a shallow skirt depending therefrom, a pair of diametrically oppositely positioned centrally constricted wings depending from said skirt, bearings formed upon the inner face of said wings, connecting means between the lower ends of said Wings, a pair of semicircular end opposed members beneath and extending across the space between said wings, and means for adjustably shifting said members laterally beneath the wings.

6. In a piston of the character set forth, a relatively thick head having a shallow skirt depending therefrom, a pair of diametrically oppositely positioned centrally constricted wings depending from said skirt, bearings formed upon the inner face of said wings, connecting means between the lower ends of said wings, a pair of inverted substantially T-shaped members having the transverse portion thereof semicircular and opposing one another to form a split ring beneath said wings, the standard of said members extending upwardly between said wings, and means for adjustably securing each standard of each member to said connecting means and to said skirt.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

EARL HILLIS SMITH. 

